September, 1909 
Lay these to one side and then start to fill the box or mold 
for the handle with a mixture composed of the same in- 
gredients as was used for the body of the vase. Fill the 
mold first to a depth of one-half inch and tamp or press the 
Template for 
top of Vase 
aan 
years 
kat 
Fig. 6—Method of forming top of vase 
cement down well, and then lay in, in the position indicated, 
one of the wires. Now lay in one inch more of the mixture, 
and press or tamp it down, and then place in the other wire, 
and fill the mold flush with the top as shown at “D” in 
Fig. 7. Trowel it off smooth and let it set for from eight to — 
twelve hours, so that it will harden up well. Then carefully 
remove the sides of the mold; first removing side 3 and then 
side 1. After having removed these two sides the cast of 
the handle can be easily removed without fear of breaking 
it. Clean the mold out well and shellac and oil the insides 
of it again. Then replace the sides 3 and 1 and proceed to 
cast the other handle in the same way. After removing the 
handles from the mold wet them down occasionally so that 
they will become good and hard. 
The next step is to cut holes into the body of the vase into 
which to insert and cement the handles. ‘The sand or earth 
core, as well as the cardboard lining, should be removed and 
a line should be drawn across the top and down both sides 
of the vase at its center, as shown in Fig. 8. This line will 
show where the handles are to be located. Hold the handle 
Loe ; 
Ja reintorcing 
wire-Stecl. 
Cross BE througha-b, 
Fig. 7—Mold in which to cast handles or ears 
‘n its proper position against the side of the vase, and with 
a pencil outline the position and shape of its two ends on 
Birds and the 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
361 
the body of the vase. Now with a hammer and chisel gently 
cut out holes at these points about one-half of an inch deep, 
into which to cement the handle. Locate and cut out holes 
on the opposite side of the vase for the other handle to fit 
into it in like manner. Now by gently tapping with a hammer 
roughen up the ends of the handles, and then place both the 
vase and the handle in water or sprinkle them until they 
are thoroughly wet. Now mix some pure Portland cement 
and water together into a fairly thick paste, and trowel it 
well into the holes prepared for the handle in the body of 
the vase as well as on to both ends of the handle. Sprinkle 
both of these surfaces with water and then place the handle 
in position, firmly pressing it in place. “True it up and scrape 
away the surplus cement, at the same time making a neat 
finish around the handle where it joins the vase. Hold the 
handle in position by binding it firmly in place by good stout 
string. Wedge the string up, as indicated in Fig. 8, to help 
‘\ 
dF ecess’for- 
Fig. 8—Method of applying handles or ears 
further tighten it. Wet the joint down well with water 
occasionally and allow the string to remain in position for at 
least twelve hours before removing it in order to allow the 
handle to be firmly cemented in place. Secure the other 
handle to the vase in like manner, and the vase is now 
complete. 
If by any chance there should be any holes or marked 
irregularities in the surface of the vase these can be pointed 
or filled up with a mixture composed of the same ingredients 
as used in the body of the vase. A good smooth, fairly light 
finish can be procured by rubbing the whole surface down 
with coarse emery cloth. ‘Then soak the vase in water and 
rub over its entire surface a thin coat of a mixture composed 
of one part of marble dust and one part of Portland cement. 
Let this dry out and then again wet down the vase. ‘The 
oftener the vase is wet the harder it will be. Remember 
that water is a most important factor in all concrete work. 
One can never get a good bond between two surfaces if 
the parts are not thoroughly wet down. ‘The dimensions 
given in Fig. 1 are merely suggestive. “The same general 
directions as given above can be used for making a vase of 
almost any size and shape. 
Country Home 
(Continued from page 353) 
lawn in flocks, day after day, for six weeks, dine heartily, 
and start on again. ‘The black-fruited wild cherry is one 
of the most useful for the food it gives, and the wood is of 
great value besides. You can leave such trees to grow along 
the lines of fences. In the spring I find that the barberry 
bushes have hardly been touched by the birds, but when the 
late snow storms come on and catch the robins, these berries 
frequently save their lives. 
During cold weather, even the wildest of midwinter, you 
may have birds nearly as plentiful about your house as in 
midsummer. ‘The secret is in giving them a few bones and 
chunks of suet, tied to your vines and trees. This food will 
cost you little or nothing, and it will make the birds very 
happy in spite of bitter weather. When tired of eating your 
suet these same birds will be scouting through the orchard 
and hunting out worms and eggs of worms hid in the bark 
of your trees. This sort of winter work is of great im- 
portance when we have had an invasion of caterpillars, or 
when the tent caterpillar has pasted his eggs on the branches. 
Among the birds that I find most easily drawn to my win- 
dows in the coldest days are the chickadee, nuthatch, downy 
woodpecker, common snow bird, and sometimes a robin will 
show up. You can afford to make a study of this business, 
and feed the birds just as you can your Holsteins and your 
Jerseys. In the summer I scarcely miss the berries and cur- 
rants that are taken, although I make sure of my cherries. 
In the winter the presence of the birds is almost indispens- 
able to our comfort. When I go to Florida the mockingbird 
is in my dooryard all winter, and the brilliant cardinal bird 
gives me a song, and Bob White comes to my very door 
calling me, while the shrike, beautiful as any of them, de- 
stroys all the grasshoppers and beetles he can eat. 
